“One of the great strengths of America is the willingness of our people to join together in response to a crisis, and this certainly has been the case with Hurricane Sandy,” said Salazar in a press release.

The release added that visitors to sites like Fire Island and the Statue of Liberty contributed more than half-billion dollars to the local economy last year.

“We are committed to restoring these national treasures and making them open to the public as soon as it’s safe to welcome back visitors,” Salazar said.